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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395117">Life Never Stops Changing (and thats wonderful isnt it?)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AiviloQuillMaster/pseuds/AiviloQuillMaster'>AiviloQuillMaster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Homestuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crying, Earth C (Homestuck), Gen, Implied Poly Relationships, Mental Health Issues(implied), Not Epilogue Compliant, Post-Canon, Self-Discovery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:20:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395117</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AiviloQuillMaster/pseuds/AiviloQuillMaster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Its been almost six years since they escaped the Game and reformed the World, where they now live and rule as Gods. Each in their own, unique way. Jane has spent that time building up Her recreation of her childhood dream Job, CEO of Crockercrop. Its everything she used to want growing up, where she always knew she was going to be, always looked forward to as a kid. (So why isn't she happy?)</p><p>Or, Jane grapples with growing up, re evaluates her priorities and realizes what she wanted as a kid doesn't always translates so well as an adult.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Calliope/Jane Crocker/Roxy Lalonde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. How we got here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>How we got here.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone. I know its been a while and Im now working on this to hopefully get me back into writing more. I was in a Discord server and ended up talking about how much we hated the Epilogues, so Im writing my Own! Im focusing on Jane for now since I have an Idea where I want to go for her but I may be open to expanding with other characters(looks at Dave, Dirk, Jake, and Karkat), after I finish this one. Eventually.<br/>Please leave comments down below and I hope you enjoy the ride.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For as long as she could remember, she knew what she was meant to be. Jane Crocker, head CEO of Crockercorp. She grew up on that, she was the heiress to something big, something important. Betty Crocker, her Great-Great-Grandma, left a legacy for her, and she knew it. Some of her fondest memories growing up were of her and her Dad making cake together. She can still remember how sweet those cakes tasted back then, sweet with family and promise.<br/>
It was her destiny, she grew up on Crockercorp products and payed attention to what the company was doing, where they were going while she grew up. All her life she was assured that one day, it would be hers.<br/>
</p>
<p>Whenever her friends tried to tell her why they didn't like Crockercorp, she chalked it up to a joke. Just something they would say to tease her, she knew they had an odd sense of humor. Jake didn't have a problem with it until Dirk got him in on the joke, but he was teasing, she though they were just teasing.<br/>
</p>
<p>It was a shock when all they're cryptic warnings about “The Batterwitch” turned out to be true. Her Great-Great Grandmother was just as evil, if not more evil, as they had claimed. She was fed subliminal messages for longer than she could remember to make her like her company, to make her defend it. It, was an uncomfortable revelation, and she wasn't comfortable with what it implied.<br/>
</p>
<p>She tried not to dwell on it, at the time, there were more pressing matters to be concerned with. She died for a few minutes, they were trapped in the Medium for what seemed like forever, the Jake thing. Her Dad went missing.<br/>
</p>
<p>And when they had beaten the Game, there had been more pressing issues to tackle first. She was a God, all of them were Gods. They were building a world, a universe, to spend eternity in. In the grand scheme of things, you just didn't have a lot of time think beyond the short term.<br/>
</p>
<p>When things had finally settled down, Jane didn't really thought too much when she decided to remake Crockercorp. It seemed natural at the time, remake the company into what she always dreamed of growing up. Make it fully and truly hers. She was a goddess, it was easy. So easy.<br/>
</p>
<p>It started out so simple.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Goddess sits at her Desk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jane enjoys a distraction while at work.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>	The print on the paperwork in front of her wouldn't stop swimming. She was barley halfway through the reports from yesterday and she could swear were worded to be as roundabout as possible. Not like Dirk trying to illustrate a point with an extravagant, wordy metaphor or anything. That would actually be interesting.<br/>
</p><p>No, all the words on the pages before her were just so dry. Not even the troll writing quirks could make reading these interesting. Heck some quirks were so unintuitive she struggled even more to make out what even a single word was trying to say! She knew why, she should know what was going on beneath her, but it was all so repetitive. Rarely was there anything she even needed to take care of herself, outside of setting the goals and shaking hands. The paperwork really could have been done by anyone as long as her signature was on it.<br/>
</p><p>She suspected the fact she was the Goddess of Life might be discouraging hostile competition, or any behind the scene machinations under her roof. Who would plot against one of the gods? So really, most of her work came down to reviewing reports and issuing production orders. It was challenging when she was starting up, building up from memory and childhood ambition.<br/>
</p><p>Five years later, things have settled down, and things that were once interesting from their newness and difficulty have become, dull. The days bleed together with nary any variance to  tell Monday from Friday.<br/>
</p><p>And here, in her office, on the top floor of the main Crockercorp building with the wide glass walls and all business professional décor, was she. Barley even trying to read her paperwork anymore. Her eyes instead locked longingly at the clock on her desk. As though staring at the numbers will suddenly make them change any faster. She's pretty sure even Dave couldn't do that actually. At least from the few, rambling,often off tangent explanations given when anyone asked him how his powers worked at least.<br/>
</p><p>So unexpected was the sound of her pesterchum notification ring in the silence of her office that she jumped in her big fancy chair, and also hit her knees on the desk. After a deep breath and rubbing at the sore spot until the sting died down, she pulled out her personal phone. Her notifications showed her a welcome and rather unexpected sight.<br/>
</p><p>Dirk was online. Online and trying to talk to her.<br/>
</p><p class="pesterlog">tiemusTestified began pestering gutsyGumshoe<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: According to this it  has been about a month since we last messaged each other.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: And according to both Dave and Rose, one month since anyone outside the Consort Kingdom heard from me until Dave sent me a link to his latest video.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Which, by the way, reminded me of my first time reading SBaHJ from his archives. It was like someone remixed the greatest movies in cinema with the works of the Renaissance. Just took those two greats by the hand and left them in a room together to collaborate on the pinnacle of human accomplishment.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: The rest of us should just hang up our hats and kick it on those lazy chairs. Media has already peaked, no way we mere plebeians will ever make anything greater than “Mad Snacks Yo: A Live Reenactment.”<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Gosh, it has been a while.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Running a company certainly eats up a lot of time. I feel a little bad about it now that I'm looking at these timestamps.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Don't sweat it, I doubt you could possibly beat my record six months without talking to anyone sans Jake and the twins.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: But hey, I hear that its almost the five year anniversary of Crockercorp. And that there is going to be, quote “the most bomb ass gala in the history of earth c”<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Yeah, hard to believe its been so long huh?<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Not the company I mean, It just seems,<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: It feels like a lifetime instead of a few years?<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Yeah!<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: I mean, look at where we are now, I'm the President of the Company I always dreamed of running since I was a little girl. I have my own home that Roxy and Calliope visit so often I they have their own  bedrooms.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: I am a literal Goddess of Life. So, a lot of things happened in no time at all.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Ain't that the truth. I used to think I'd be stuck in the middle of that fucking ocean forever. Surrounded by robots of my own invention with my thoughts till<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: But anyways, now I have a big, landlocked living space with where I can sweat over robots of my own invention and thoughts with more options of actually doing otherwise.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Like Swordplay, and quote unquote “Scrubs”.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Many new and exiting opportunities for Dirk Strider I see.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Yes. And a bunch of other things when I get reminded. Rose threatened that if I didn't pick up a new hobby soon she would force me to learn to knit.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: I'm not against it, so I could just do the same old and wait for her to make good, or do it myself and not subject myself to Rose's passive aggressive malice.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Maybe don't do that and pick up, uh,<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Hrm. Hobbies hobbies<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Drawing a blank? No notes left on the mental mindscape? Just a sprawling expanse of white, flat nothingness as there is no form taken unto the paper, just a glare of nothingness, taunting you to destroy it but you have as much nothing as the page, so it remains as is, completely bereft of jack shit.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: It would seem so.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Well she hasn't given me a deadline yet, and maybe by the time the party rolls around you'll be done drawing that blank.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Oh, you'll be coming to the party?<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Now that I know about it? Yeah, Of course.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Join the rest of the world in celebration of you're company's birthday, like the uncle that only comes over on holidays and birthdays with all sorts of sick presents and parental disapproval levied at him.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Well, I will treasure whatever present you bring along for my “baby's” birthday.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Although I would be remiss if I didn't let you know that you don't have to bring anything if you don't want to.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Well now I have to, let's see what I manage on such short notice. Can't let a bunch of strangers in monkey suits show me up by bringing presents and I come up empty handed.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Just try not to go too overboard, you might miss the party.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT: Wouldn't dream of it. See you at the party Jane.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Oh. Yes. See you then Dirk, I look forward to  seeing you there.<br/>
</p><p class="dirk">TT:<br/>
</p><p class="pesterlog">tiemusTestified ceased pestering gutsyGumshoe</p><p>	Did he forget to type something there? Unfortunately before she could try pestering him again she noticed she had a backlog of messages waiting for her over the company comm and scrambled to address them. It took over two hours of “Sorry for the hold up” and “Thank you very much” as she sorted through dry reports and empty pleasantries.<br/>
</p><p>The sun was low on the horizon of Maidenshill, painting the sky a rich hue of orange and red when Jane wrapped up the last piece of business before the day ends. She set her gaze out of the window wall to the world beyond her headquarters. The city below filled with people from every Kingdom, the borders between them are mostly a formality anyways. Some folks heading home after a long day and others likely just getting up to begin the night.<br/>
</p><p>It's beautiful, the world she lives in, the one she helped to create. She just...<br/>
</p><p>She looks to her persterchum again, at the chats she's had recently, and not so recently. It's been months since shes messaged anyone but Roxy or Callie, both of whom she lives with. She's kept up to date with her Dad's online Haberdasher business, but not a lot of messages to him personally since his last birthday. It's been three months since she's spoken to Jake, She hasn't Dave, Karkat, or Jade since Rose and Kanaya's Wedding. When was the last time she talked to John? Holy heck almost a year now! What kind Daughter-Mom is she?</p><p class="pesterlog">gutsyGumshoe began pestering ectoBiologist<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Hi John, it's been a while huh?<br/>
</p><p class="pesterlog">ectoBiologist is idle<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Well when you do get this message, I just wanted to let you know that there's going to be a party for Crockercorp's five year anniversary!<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG:  It's going to be be a huge party over the expanse of the largest private estate on this side of the Human Kingdom, and a lot of us are going.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: I mean, me Roxy and Calliope are going together. Dirk just told me he's going. Rose actually did a RSVP a few weeks back. Dave and Karkat are probably coming knowing them.<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: It would be great to see each other wouldn't it?<br/>
</p><p class="jane">GG: Well, see you later!<br/>
</p><p class="pesterlog">gutsyGumshoe ceased pestering ectobiologist</p><p>He should see that message sooner or later, he had over a week. She can see him then. Ask him how he's been doing, what he's made out of his new life. In between her worshipers, and her business associates, investors, reporters. And all the people who she didn't really know but had to at least pretend to, it wound be bad press if she didn't.<br/>
</p><p>The more she thought about actually being there the less she really wanted to go.<br/>
</p><p>But she would go, it was her party, celebrating her Company. Jane Crocker was the President of Crocker Corp, she had an image to uphold.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Unexpected Intrusion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jane was prepared for another boring day before she receives an unexpected visitor, and learns unexpectedly old news.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Approval for Revised Manufacturing Policy</i>. Signed.<i> Request for review on Financial of Research and Development Department in Carapacian Kingdom</i>. Signed. <i>Payment for Dude Personson, owner of Place Mansion for the Anniversary party<i>. She already had someone confirm that that was legitimately the guys name, somehow. Signed.<br/>
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      <i>An average day in the life of the CEO of Crockercorp. In all honesty most of the people beneath her are so dedicated to their duties that her role was more of a formality at this point. She wasn't the one arranging things, she wasn't the one experimenting in the test kitchens or the labs, she wasn't even the one overseeing most of the dealings. She had people doing all of that for her, she, didn't need to do much more that sign her name on papers all day. Papers never stopped coming, and she had signed so much that her signature was just a series of lines and loops at this point.<br/>
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</p><p>It was all so, dull.<br/>
</p><p>
 She was prepared for another monotonous day of skimming dry papers and signing her name on bottom lines when someone was suddenly standing in her office. As in, one second she was alone, the next a familiar voice all but cheered ”Hi!”<br/>
</p><p>
 This time Jane did leap out of her desk, instantly equipping her Batterbuster spoon and crouched into a familiar position. She almost took a swing at Jade before she could register who the other was. Her white ears upright, and turned to face her.<br/>
</p><p>
“Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to jump you like that.” Jade apologized, her ears dropping.<br/>
</p><p>
 “No no! It's alright. Well I mean, you could have called ahead, but.” Jane wasn't sure what she was trying to say anymore. Jade hadn't aged any since they last saw each other, Jane's pretty sure none of them age much anymore. Her hair seemed darker somehow. There was a faint shimmer around it and what seemed like stars dotted faintly throughout.<br/>
</p><p>
It was a lot more than Jane had been getting since they all arrived.<br/>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>It happened to John first, while they were still building the foundation of their world. A constant breeze in his hair and windsock hood, then a faint fog that always hovered around one of his arms. It wasn't until Rose started seeing things in glasses of water that anyone really started taking notice. It wasn't all at once for everyone, she hadn't gotten any changes. Unlike Roxy, who had been slowly changing physically for years now. She was still Roxy, just with intangible pockets around her body and randomly spawned pumpkins on occasion.<br/>
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      <i>Jade hadn't had any noticeable changes since they last got together, but now Jane couldn't help but notice the depth and starlight in her hair. Jane herself hadn't changed much since she godtiered. Even Callie had been changing, their wings started growing in for one, and faint images of paintings and art as they are made across the world show up like tattoos on their body. But Jane looked exactly as human as she was when they arrived.<br/>
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      <i>“Anyways, It's been so long since you came by. What's the occasion?”  She asked, realizing she had just been staring at Jade.<br/>
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      <i>“I was working on what to wear to the Gala in a few days. But, well, Dave and Karkat are the opposite of helpful in that matter, John isn't much better, and Jake is a bit too biased and disengaged to give an accurate opinion. So, since it <i>is</i> your party, I thought I'd get your opinion real quick!”<br/>
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      <i>“Oh, is that all? You could have sent me a snapchat or something.”<br/>
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      <i>“Yeah, but then I realized 'hey, I haven't seen Jane in a long time. Why not drop by?” Jade explains, “Though, yeah I could have messaged you beforehand.” It always impressed Jane how the other woman's face could look so much like an emoticon, the sheepish smile in this particular instance.<br/>
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      <i>“Well,” Jane looks over Jade's current outfit, clearly her normal day clothes. “It's a formal event.”<br/>
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      <i>“Oh! not this. One minute.” She pulls out one of her many computing devises, this one looking like a padded tablet. Then she spread both arms out and after a few moments her entire outfit shifted into an evening gown that seemed to show the deep night sky in the fabric, highlighted in a soft green that made Jade look more divine than before.<br/>
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      <i>“Oh my.” Jane breathed, she looked absolutely stunning in that dress.<br/>
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      <i>“Skaianet prototype remote wardrobifier, the most up to date model.” Jade boasted, seemingly more proud of the device than her breathtaking outfit.<br/>
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      <i>“That's impressive, I didn't think you could do that at range.” she replied, she thought that wardrobifiers couldn't function properly more than a few feet away from the user. Something about the difficulties in the molecular reconstruction over long distances?<br/>
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      <i>“Well, the full models have that limitation, But this baby uses precision remolecularlization and satellite positioning, it isn't quite out of the beta stage, it can only handle two to three or so pre registered items at a time and you have to get into specific poses or it will glitch out pretty badly. We're working out the kinks still.” Jade explains, clearly both very informed and very exited about this new piece of technology.<br/>
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      <i>“Well I guess I should step up my own R and D before you and Jake can put that little gizmo on the market.” She jokes, she wasn't even 100% sure what her R and D was currently even working on. That and there wasn't actually that much overlap in Crockercorp and Skaianet's customer base, they focused on different things mostly. There really wasn't any competition between them.<br/>
</i></i></i></p><p><i><i><i>Earth C was a different world than the one she was raised in.<br/>
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      <i>“Huh? Oh just me, hopefully. Jake wasn't involved in this before he resigned.”<br/>
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      <i>“What?” Jane asks, she didn't hear that right, did she?<br/>
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      <i>“This didn't begin production until after Jake formally left, so he isn't going to be attached to it when we do make public models.” She elaborates, though not the way Jane wanted. Jade tries to hand her the Remote Wardrobifier tablet but Jane ignores the offering completely in favor of asking “What do you mean 'Jake formally resigned' from Skaianet? When did that happen?”<br/>
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      <i>Both Jane and Jake had founded Crockercorp and Skaianet at the same time, just half a year after they jumped forward into the modern age after re-establishing the world. Jade had been a co founder in Skaianet, but it was Jake's company from the start. Just like how Crockercorp was hers.<br/>
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      <i>How could he just... quit? And why didn't she know about it until now?<br/>
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      <i>"He hadn't really been involved in the company for at least two years before then, mainly just popping back between his latest side projects to sign some papers before he decided to just make the acting head the actual head. He's only really attached by name as the founder and patron god and that's it. And advertising some products on his shows from time to time but most of that is just him using the stuff and people notice that kind of thing.” Jade explained, looking at Jane through her glassy lenses. Her expression muted and concerned. “You really didn't know?"<br/>
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      <i>“No, I had no idea.” She admitted. She hadn't heard of any of this, she knew Jake had his television stuff of course, he's on air a lot, especially in the Consort Kingdom channels. She knew he had his hands in a lot of different pies, so many she wondered how he had the energy to do them all.  She pours so much of her time into her company, and was envious whenever she heard about whatever new exploit Jake was off doing. Always wondering where he found the time and the energy. Even discounting how the Consort kingdom seemed to run itself most of the time But he wasn't actually working with Skaianet , even in passing anymore.<br/>
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      <i>She hasn't heard anything about this from the news, nothing about that even made it to her as the CEO of the other major company of the Kingdoms. She didn't even hear it from him, Jade's only telling her months later. What happened? How did she miss this?<br/>
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      <i>“Sooooo,” Jade leads “this okay for the Gala or?” then she gestures at herself.<br/>
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      <i>“Oh, yeah that dress is perfect. You'll be the belle of the ball.” She answered, not really paying attention to her much anymore. Her thoughts feel distant and unreal. Although she didn't want to leave Jade out to dry, she wasn't sure she could really focus anymore.<br/>
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      <i>“Ooookay. I've taken enough time form your work. Sorry for barging in again. See you at the party!” Jane doesn't even have the time to say a peep before Jade vanished before her eyes. Just like that Jane was alone in her office again.<br/>
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    <i>
      <i>Without a word, she went back to her desk. Sunlight filtered inside from the window walls, showing the whole world outside them.<br/>
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    <i>
      <i>The room never felt smaller.</i>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This thing is fighting me, I want to finish this, get my story and themes across, then write a new piece. But I Will finish this first. Here's hoping.<br/>Also thanks to my Discord pals for the feedback, you guys are awesome and you have no idea how much your words mean to me.<br/>I am open to any and all critique in the comment section below, please let me know what you all think.<br/>Thank you for reading.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Dressed for Sucess</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's time to depart for the Anniversary Party. Exiting right? Right?...right?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the short update, I have no idea what im doing and how Im doing it. Wheeeee!/s<br/>I. Will.finish. this. This will have a conclusion and something that passes for a character arc. I swear it!<br/>I am open to suggestions and critique, feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She dressed sharp, as she always does where Crockercorp is concerned. With her bright red business suit with nary a fiber out of place cut to flatter her naturally curvy figure and make her look more intimidating than if she wore anything less professional. It also tended to itch and felt too tight in more than a few places, and she was usually paranoid about wrinkling it whenever she sat down.</p>
<p>But that was exactly what she would be wearing to the celebration, there were too many business associates for her to present herself as anything less. She checked herself over in the closet mirror, and the President of Crockercorp looked back at her, the image of the perfect businesswoman.</p>
<p>Picture perfect for the cameras. Though, she much preferred how she looked in the pictures on the wall, with her and Callie in casual clothes on the beach. </p>
<p>Instead of dwelling on that took her phone from her fashionable clutch and snapped a photo of herself. Then sent the image to John over Snapchat with the message “Ready for the Gala. Hope to see you there.”</p>
<p>She was really, really hoping she would see John at the Gala. He was her family, with them since the beginning when they were first rebuilding their world. Those early days where they were getting to know each other better, how sweet, optimistic, and funny he could be. The parts that reminded her of her Popop, and the parts that were all his. She remembered how, in the first meeting they held all together, he somehow managed to sneak whoopee cushions beneath everyone's seat upholstery.</p>
<p>She laughed so hard she had tears on her face. She really wants to see him.</p>
<p>When she came down the stairs, Roxy and Callie were still waiting for her. Roxy reclined over Callie's lap on the chaise lounge. Callie noticed her first “There you are.” they nudged Roxy off them to get up “If we don't leave soon we won't arrive by opening ceremonies.”</p>
<p>“Sorry, I must have taken longer than I thought I would.” Jane apologized, though she doesn't mention the amount of time spent in her own head. Calliope stood elegant in the formfitting dark green dress shirt that fit almost like a tuxedo, with an airy green skirt to match. Jane knows that Callie had a pair of pants that went with that attire just as perfectly. They must have been feeling more on the feminine side today and opted for the skirt. </p>
<p>“Ooorrr, you wanna be fashionably late, get all those suits nervous and antsy, bouncin' on their shiny shoes. Little show of who's in charge, that kinda thing.” Roxy's own outfit was a neon pink mirror to Callie's own, only she's wearing the pants. She started doing that kind of stuff just after Callie told them they were nonbinary. It was really sweet actually. Jane didn't think anyone would ever even think of give them a hard time, Callie was beloved  by everyone who met them. </p>
<p>“Oh hush. A few minutes won't set us back that much. If anyone even notices it I doubt they'd comment on it.” She wasn't sure she wanted to hear it if they did though. Actually, she wasn't sure if it would bother her the right way if they did.</p>
<p>“Anywho,” Callie cooed, lovey and cheerfully. “Now that all of us have finished with the dolling, its past time we headed out.” They were taller than Jane now, by at least a head. Standing between them all and taloned hands behind both women's shoulders. The feeling of Callie's gentle touch on her, the gentleness and the way their body temperature always seemed to match her own, it was a sensation Jane never grew tired of.</p>
<p>Out the tree went from their shared abode, a little out of the way still within the residential district of Maidenhill. Thankfully, they had managed to convince the more pious citizens to reserve certain behaviors to dedicated temples instead of in front of anyone's home. So the early evening outside was free from any eyes but the three of them. Under the softening light of early twilight.</p>
<p>For a few moments, all Jane wanted was to stop and stand right there. Looking at the evening sky of Earth C with Roxy and Calliope, and forget all about the party.</p>
<p>“Hello? Earth the C to Janey.” Roxy's voice jarred her out of the fantasy. Apparently she had stopped in the middle of the driveway for her brief foray into stargazing. “Something wrong?”</p>
<p>For a brief moment, she felt a strong urge to say 'I want to stay here.' She didn't, of course she didn't. She had to go, it was her Gala.</p>
<p>“Nothing. I'm just fine”</p>
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